NTLDR is missing

Dogboy73 · 27 Nov 2007 at 12:25

Just put a system together out of old bits I had. Well actually it was my previous system put into an older case I had. I've yet to install XP on the hard drive but I'm getting this message when I switch it on;

Verifying DMI pool data ....

NTLDR is missing.

Press CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart.

Don't recall ever seing this before. What does it mean?

edgedemon · 27 Nov 2007 at 12:27

It can't find the necessary files to load the OS.
Doesn't matter if you are sticking a new OS on.
Im taking it for granted that your BIOS can see all the hard drives??

badbob · 27 Nov 2007 at 12:28

Change your boot order, verify the first HD in boot order is the one you've installed the HD to.

BENdage · 27 Nov 2007 at 12:30

double check that your boot prioity is right, if it is then the file could be corrupt, you could try sticking your win xp disk in, loading the repair console and do a fixboot to rewrite the boot files to the disk

neodude · 27 Nov 2007 at 12:48

Check you don't have a floppy loaded

tedaC · 27 Nov 2007 at 12:51

neoduder said:
Check you don't have a floppy loaded

quoted for the truth

Dead and Gone · 27 Nov 2007 at 13:24

it's because of one of these :-

Computer is booting from a non-bootable source.
Computer hard disk drive is not properly setup in BIOS.
Corrupt NTLDR and/or NTDETECT.COM file.
Misconfiguration with the boot.ini file.
Attempting to upgrade from a Windows 95, 98, or ME computer that is using FAT32.
New hard disk drive being added.
Corrupt boot sector / master boot record.
Seriously corrupted version of Windows 2000 or Windows XP.
Loose or Faulty IDE/EIDE hard disk drive cable.

But I did it when I tried to boot from my old version of windows vista on my new machine using the old hard disk it seems it just couldn't do it and wanted to be reformatted and re-installed...

squ1bby · 27 Nov 2007 at 13:59

Can i recommend this site for help http://tinyempire.com/notes/ntldrismissing.htm

Admiral Huddy · 27 Nov 2007 at 16:01

Doesn't running scndsk /r to repair the system files work from DOS?

this looks good too..

http://www.sysint.no/nedlasting/mbrfix.htm

Hugest_UK · 27 Nov 2007 at 16:44

Dogboy73 said:
I've yet to install XP on the hard drive but I'm getting this message when I switch it on;

Verifying DMI pool data ....

NTLDR is missing.

Press CTRL+ALT+DEL to restart.

Don't recall ever seing this before. What does it mean?

I guess the important thing to point out here is read the detail........ HE HAS YET TO INSTALL AN OS :rolleyes:

Cheers,
Hugest

GarethDW · 27 Nov 2007 at 17:03

Yep, if there's no OS installed then that error message kinda makes sense... it's a bit cryptic, it could have said "no operating system found", but it does make sense.

croni486 · 27 Nov 2007 at 17:15

Yes, but he also stated that he was putting the system together by using old bits and the HD may have been used previously!